There is broad recognition that fire management in the United States must fundamentally change and depart from practices that have led to an over-emphasis on suppression and limited the presence of fire in forested ecosystems. In this paper, we look at competing problem definitions in US Forest Service policy for fire management, the presence of goal ambiguity, and how these factors can explain why changes in fire management have been elusive, despite policy change. We consider US Forest Service fire policies, performance incentives, and decision-making processes for two sides of the agency: the National Forest System, which is responsible for land management on the national forests, and Fire and Aviation Management, which oversees response to wildland fire. We find that both sides of the agency acknowledge a complex problem definition for fire—one that recognizes fire as a natural ecological process, and also as a threat to personnel, communities, and natural resources. However, we raise the question of whether the agency is adequately addressing competing problem definitions in fire policy, particularly given its largely separated structure between land and fire management. We suggest that, in the face of goal ambiguity, factors such as performance measurement, a preference for minimizing short-term risk, and professional expertise drive decisions that perpetuate the status quo. Opportunities exist to bridge more effectively across land and fire management and reduce incentives to focus on short-term risks during fire events. These include creating a meta-frame for fire management, improving performance measurement, supporting greater integration of fire and land management planning, increasing transparency and collaboration, and arming agency personnel with the core competencies needed to effectively tackle the complex problem of fire management.

中文翻译：

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林务局消防管理与变化的难以捉摸

人们普遍认识到，美国的火灾管理必须从根本上改变并偏离导致过度强调灭火抑制和限制森林生态系统中火灾的行为。在本文中，我们着眼于美国森林服务局关于火灾管理的政策中相互竞争的问题定义，目标模棱两可的存在，以及这些因素如何解释为何尽管政策有所变化但火灾管理的变化却难以捉摸。我们考虑了美国林业局两方面的消防政策，绩效激励措施和决策程序：负责国家森林土地管理的国家森林系统，以及负责监督对荒地的应对的消防和航空管理火。我们发现，该机构的双方都认可了一个关于火灾的复杂问题定义，即将火灾视为自然的生态过程，同时也是对人员，社区和自然资源的威胁。但是，我们提出了一个问题，即该机构在土地政策和火灾管理之间的结构很大程度上是分开的时，是否能充分解决消防政策中相互矛盾的问题定义。我们建议，面对目标含糊不清的情况，诸如绩效评估，对最大限度地减少短期风险的偏爱以及专业知识等因素，可以推动使现状永存的决策。存在着机会，可以更有效地在土地和火灾管理之间架起桥梁，并减少在火灾期间关注短期风险的动机。其中包括创建用于火灾管理的元框架，